Supermarket chain Plus can continue to sell a cheese slicer from the Klaverland brand following a legal dispute over its design with former supplier Boska Food Tools.

Boska argued that the new slicer looked virtually identical to the one it supplied to Plus until last year, when, after a cooperation of 16 years, the chain decided to go into business with Klaverland maker Morenso International.

Both Plus and Morenso were therefore in breach of its intellectual property rights, the manufacturer claimed.

The conflict started following Morenso’s presentation of its products for Plus, RTL Nieuws reported, including a butter knife and a cheese grater, also almost indistinguishable from its own products.

Rechter buigt zich over kaasschaafgeschil: lijken deze twee ontwerpen te veel op elkaar?https://t.co/MQfWopIIka

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Morenso said it had not copied any of the Bosko products, arguing that the design of a cheese slicer is so “banal and trivial” it does not qualify for intellectual property right status.

The judge found for Morenso, saying “there are many cheese slicers, cheese graters and butter knives on the market which look a like the ones produced by Boska”. The manufacturer was ordered to pay costs.